Beverage · The Cocktail Lab: Unraveling the Mysteries of Flavor and Aroma in Drink, with Recipes, Tony Conigliaro (Ten Speed Press) · The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks, Amy Stewart (Algonquin Books) · The New California Wine: A Guide to the Producers and Wines Behind a Revolution in Taste, Jon Bonne (Ten Speed Press)

Reference and Scholarship · A History of Food in 100 Recipes, William Sitwell (Little, Brown and Company) · Modern Food, Moral Food: Self-Control, Science, and the Rise of Modern American Eating in the Early Twentieth Century, Helen Zoe Veit, (The University of North Carolina Press) · Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine One Plate at a Time , Adrian Miller (The University of North Carolina Press)

I don't know why I was surprised at this....I enjoy her show because of the rusticness (is that a word?) of it. It is different! I must admit my mouth watered all the way through her latest episode using her home grown horseradish. She is very "down home" yet a trained chef who is applying her education to kicking up her roots in mid-western cooking and doing it well. She cooks from her own kitchen in a log cabin in the woods. Nothing is put on, the pots and pans she uses show signs of being well used. Plain, neutral cloths hang below her sink to cover what ever is stored underneath. It shows mid-western country life in the true sense. So far, her dinner guests, have been "down home" folks. I think it is her uncle who owns Thielen meats, which reminds me of a country store we have here, not far from our house, and where I was able to find ring bologna after seeing Amy do a show around it. Our kids always loved fried bologna, but hated it in sandwiches, and I had never seen the ring style. Pretty good stuff.Anyone else seen her show, or have her cookbook?

It is on the Food Network...not your type of food...I just like it because it is very different than anything else on FN, plus Amy has a cute personality. Not even sure which day it comes on as I DVR it and watch when I get to it.

Oh, okay. I just don't watch the Food Network at all any more. We enjoy Chopped, but we DVR it so we don't even see commercials about what else is going on--not that anything much has happened there in recent memory. The pros are all gone and it's been a steady circus of Rachel-Guy-Ina-Paula for far too long, and I have no use for any of them.

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

Jenise wrote:Oh, okay. I just don't watch the Food Network at all any more. We enjoy Chopped, but we DVR it so we don't even see commercials about what else is going on--not that anything much has happened there in recent memory. The pros are all gone and it's been a steady circus of Rachel-Guy-Ina-Paula for far too long, and I have no use for any of them.

Actually, the premise sounds VERY interesting. As long as it's really her cabin--that is, as long as she and what she does is authentic, and it's not some set like the car stripes on Guy Fieri's refrigerator. If I stumbled into her show while channel surfing I'd probably stop and watch, though it could take me awhile to get over the shock of finding someone other than the fab four!

My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov

· I Love New York: Ingredients and Recipes, Daniel Humm and Will Guidara (Ten Speed Press)I loved my 3 meals at 11 Mad since Humm took over, will think about getting this

· The New California Wine: A Guide to the Producers and Wines Behind a Revolution in Taste, Jon Bonne (Ten Speed Press)I find Bonne a good writer

· Manresa: An Edible Reflection, David Kinch with Christine Muhlke (Ten Speed Press)Gorgeous book. Great looking recipes. Betsy gave me for Christmas, when I find a space $2K for equipment we might try some recipes

· Mast Brothers Chocolate, Photographer: Tuukka Koski (Little, Brown and Company)We have this, as David works at Mast as a chocolate maker

Culinary Birds: The Ultimate Poultry Cookbook, John Ash with James O. Fraioli, (Running Press)· Fish: 54 Seafood Feasts, Cree LeFavour, (Chronicle Books)Both of these appeal to me (never heard of LeFavour, but Ash does great recipes)

I've had to put a stop to buying cookbooks. I've found that you can bring them up on line and get many recipes. Who needs that many cookbooks, when you can basically read most of them on line, or find their recipes.

Go easy with her Mike.....I love cook books too, and read them like novels. Getting better, since Amazon allows you to open the book and look at recipes. Being a foodie is a curse....too many recipes, ideas, so little time! I want to do all of it!